Territory



(No Model.)

Jgs. ROBERTS..

l SLED SHOE. l v No.275,945. Patented Apr.17,1883.

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WITNESSES IJVVEJVTOR @d www.

NITED STATES VPATENT Finca.

sLED-SHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 275,945, dated April17, .1883.

Application filed September 2, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JoAB S. Renners, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boulder Valley, in the county of Jefferson and Territory ofMontana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AdjustableVibrating Sleigh-Slices, ot' which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure l is a sectional elevation of my improved sleigh -shoe. Fig. 2 isa plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 3, Fig. 2.Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4 4, Fig. 2, showing theremovable heel piece or bearing.

The object ot' my invention is to provide an adjustable sleigh shoe orrunner for wheeled vehicles, that can be easily applied to and removedfrom the wheels, that will combinelightness with the required strength,and be applicable for use in supporting the vehicle in mud as well assnow, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and described.

A A represent the sides of the body or frame of the shoe, which for thesake of lightness is preferably made in the form of an elongated hollowbox, the bottom, E, of which forms the sole of the runner or shoe. Thesole E is level, or nearly so, and is turned up at its front end in theordinary manner, the turned-up portion E being somewhat wider than thestraight portion to prevent, by opening a sufciently-wide track, anyfriction of the sides A A with the snow or mud through which the vehiclemay be passing. The sides A A are formed with a circular curveddepression of about the same radius as the wheel to which the shoe is tobe applied, and at each end of this depression are bearings for thewheel, the rear one of which is removable, to permitthe wheel to be runinto the shoe and then secured in position without any lifting, thewheel normally resting on the inside ot' the sole, and having a slightbearing on the end pieces in addition thereto.

The front bearing, C, is permanent, and is internally rounded to t thetire of the wheel.

The rear bearing, D, is removable, and is also grooved to fit the rim ofthe wheel.

The slits O are formed in the sides, through which the straps e maybepassed to further secure the wheel in the shoe, and more particularly tolimit the forward and upward movement thereof.

rlhe total length of the sole of the adjustable vibrating sleigh shoe orrunner should benne-sixteenth less than the diameter ot' the wheel, butthis may be changed to meet the requirements of varying conditions, and,when so arranged, the front end of the shoe is to be on the samevertical line as the front of the wheel, which will bring the heelonesixteenth the diameter of the wheel forward of the rear vertical linethereof. By this arrangement the center of the shoe-sole is somewhatforward ot' the center of the wheel, and I am enabled to utilize theweight of the vehicle and load as a propelling force in the followingmanner: When the friction between the shoe and the surface upon which itrests is too great to be easily overcome, the wheel, which is looselysecured by the straps, while pressing most strongly against the frontbearing, C, will-be slightly raised from the center and rear bearings bythe forward draft of the team, thereby throwing the entire weightagainst the front bearing, during` which raising and subsequent descenta very strong pressure will be exerted on the front bearing, thedirection of which will be mainly forward and practically horizontal. Bythe rapid occurrence of these movements, owing to the wheel beingeccentrically supported, I obtain a vibratory action which I und veryeffective in overcoming the friction of a heavy load on a rough surface.f

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s-

1. An adjustable sleigh-shoe runner formed with laterally-extending andtapering sole, and having fixed front and center bearings integraltherewith, in combination with a removable block adapted to be withdrawnto allow free entrance of the wheel to the slice,

and when replaced to form the rear bearing means for securing the wheelthereto, substanf'or the rixn of the supported Wheel, substantially asshown and described. Io tial] y as described. In testimony whereof Ihave affixed my sig- 2. An adjustable sleigh'shoe formed with nature inpresence of two Witnesses.

5 the semicireular and longitudinally curved J OAB S. ROBERTS.

front and rear bearings, the semicircular cen- Witnesses: tral bearingdirectly on the sole thereof, the WILLIAM H. DE WITT, laterallyprojecting and tapering sole, and WILLIAM I. LIPPINCOTT.

